(Van) Rust never sleeps

Oh woe is me, another slough of despond, those rust spots led to a visit to a body shop, where James spotted a much WORSE problem on the sills. Just to get through the MOT and cure the rust requires thousands of pounds of work. Yes, you read right THOUSANDS.

I had a weekend of soul-searching (and replacement van searching) but in the end decided to go ahead. I can't imagine being without a van, and the overheated market means I could only afford another elderly vehicle which could be just as bad as, or worse than, mine. Plus I love my van's layout, it's perfect for me. Everyone has some weak spot and my money-pit of a van is mine. 

So, it's in the workshop again, this time for a month or so, so no December trip this year.

Caernarfon

 A trip to Caernarfon and meet up with Dewi and Wendi. See the Wales blog.

Beverley Night(s)

About an hour's drive away, Beverley is a good out-of-season spot. The town is pretty and bigger than I expected. Annoyingly the museum I had gone to see is closed for refurbishment! But I found a town trail and followed that to see sites of all the guilds for old trades and crafts the town used to support. Alice the nail-maker gets a commemorative plaque near the gate house.

I sat for a while in a walled garden lined with ancient gravestones, had lunch in the theatre cafe and nosed around their craft stalls, and found the excellent Vanessa deli/butchers to stock up in. The campsite was 5 mins from the Cathedral, but somehow I never found time to go in - I'll go next time. There is lots more to see and do there.

On one of the days I got the bus out to Hornsea - I hadn't picked a good day for the coast though, the sea was a muddy brown, the sky grey, and the closed-up candyfloss shacks weren't looking their best. The prom was covered in sand because of the huge storm that had battered the place a day or so earlier.  I walked back in to the town centre and visited the museum, which was in one of the oldest buildings, a low cottage with outbuildings housing the exhibits. The best section for me was the display of Hornsea pottery wares - I bet you had some in your homes in the past, it was a big supplier for M&S at one time. The pottery no longer exists but the designs are being licensed and I bought a nice glass with a Hornsea owl design.

Outside there was a pottery trail, which I only partly followed this time, and an odd tower next to a modern housing complex - Bettison's Folly. Built by a brewer so his servant could watch for him home coming home, and ensure his dinner was on the table to greet him!

Last stop was the mere, the largest lake in Yorkshire. It was MASSIVE! but the cafe was closed, it was drizzling, and so time to head home.

Kent and East Sussex - Part I

 

Overall an interesting but at times fraught, 10 day trip. Driving and navigating in this densely-populated area was difficult and tiring so I cut out several planned site-seeing trips. There was also a heatwave to contend with (up to 32deg). It made me wonder about some of my plans to tour alone in Europe - at least I didn't have driving on the right and language issues to deal with on this trip.   

7th Sept Cambridge stop over

Hot and tired so shopped locally for a snacky tea, and didn't visit Cambridge...

8th Sept Canterbury, Kent via Dartford crossing and Chatham Historic Dockyard

Well worth visiting this large outdoor museum site. Highlights: the rope walk tour, Hearts of Oak installation about wooden boat construction, the Big Space area full of miscellaneous 'stuff' from satellite models to old chains to lifeboats, getting on board a destroyer.

The campsite was packed. My grass pitch was surrounded by trees, but sadly next to a racist bore. Too hot to walk to town so I had to bus/taxi to town, and initial impression in my diary says 'Gawd,what a shame' - very scruffy, construction works and litter everywhere (this will become a recurring theme). The cathedral cloisters were lovely however.

Phil and Liz

Shame about the scaffolding

DIARY EXCERPT - RANT

All day I've been trying to take nice photos but the CRAP everywhere - adverts, warnings, hoardings, barriers, cleaning signs, tools discarded. No-one sees all this MESS! Bins, litter, bollards, tacked up notices, 'shop' signs on lovely buildings.

The next day was so hot I didn't visit Margate...

10th Sept, Hythe

Dungeness by heritage train

This was 'one of those days' with 14 things going wrong. No photos due to my phone not charging, so here is a link to the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway Unable to find the end of the line (or anywhere to park) I eventually set off from New Romney across the marshes to Hythe and then Dungeness. The landscape reminded me of East Anglia - flat and marshy with long bumpy single-track roads. 

Hythe was a lovely seafront town at this time of year, with a shady walk along Napoleonic-era military canal to the front and shingle beach. I eventually managed to get some lunch from the grumpy woman at the station cafe, who was very cross that people were arriving during her lunch break...

Dungeness was not exactly the remote location it is touted as, and due to the heat I just took a short walk on the boardwalk. Derek Jarman's cottage is now in private hands so I decided not to go up to it and gawk. A nice gallery owner mended my broken brolly/parasol for me. Had a pint of  Kent's Shepherd Neame in one of the 2 pubs and watched the crowds of people using the buses, trains and aeroplanes at this 'isolated spot'.

Dalesacres site was pleasant enough but no local eateries.

Sissinghurst

Beautiful day to visit Sissinghurst 'castle' and gardens. The title of 'castle' was a sarcastic nickname given by French prisoners who were shut up in its dank tower in 1750-ish during the Seven Year War. Interesting gardens as you would expect, and quirky house details supplied by Vera Sackcloth-Vest (aka Vita Sackville-West).

Lunch in a waspy orchard cafe, scented with roses and lavender, then back to the site along a scenic route with oast houses, hop fields, clapper-board houses - lovely. I drove through Rye, unable to find anywhere to park, again, so couldn't stop but it looked very attractive all tumbled over a hill down to a working harbour. I'm not surprised it is popular. Luckily found a great supermarket so I could have steak and wine for tea. 

Tonight, I am (sings to tune of Genesis Supper's Ready) 'Waiting for Battle!' as I hope to visit tomorrow, crossing in to East Sussex.

Kent and East Sussex - Part II

12th September, East Sussex  - Not going to Battle, not going to Lewes

'Christ on a bike!' I noted in my diary at the end of the day. I was totally defeated in my attempt to get in to the village of Battle to see the famous 1066 location - it was flipping heaving! I was naively expecting a big empty field with some information boards and maybe a shop selling plastic Norman helmets for the kids. Wrong! A real tourist hotspot, with an abbey and high street - cramped and overwhelmed by traffic, I pity the poor buggers who live there. Despite it being one of the main reasons for my trip South, I drove off in a hissy fit.

But - happy day - I found the super Pevensey Castle by accident, with the Royal Oak PUB for lunch next door, a car park with special motorhome spaces (yay!) so I had a brilliant time. The castle marks the spot where William the Conqueror's  boats came ashore, so in fact is even more significant than that other place. A really relaxing visit, and I joined English Heritage.

On the way to Broomfield CMC site, I was intending to visit the Long Man of Wilmington. I did see the huge figure, carved in to the hillside, but it was from sitting in an enormous sweaty traffic jam on the A27. I lost the will to live and didn't visit. Here is an artist's impression (by UKPhoenix79).

The campsite site was lovely (but isolated, and along tight, narrow lanes). I was in a quiet wooded section complete with owls at night. 

13th Sept, Seven Sisters

The next day it was off to see the cliffs of the Seven Sisters, by this time I was fully expecting not to be able to PARK, but thankfully all was ok. I joined the path from the visitor's centre down to the famous viewpoint. Agatha Christie's Poirot fans will recognise it from TVs Elephant's Can Remember.

I walked most of the way there with four women from the US, who were all on holiday, very interesting people. A lovely 3m walk in all, in glorious sun. On return to the centre I had a picnic lunch and headed back.

On the way back to the site, a real piece of serendipity - I called in at a nearby farm shop/cafe for supplies and got chatting to the lady there (no, surely not, how unlike you to start gassing to complete strangers Alison). She asked if I had come for the gallery opening the next day. Gallery??? I had stumbled on Farleys House and Gallery, which only opens twice a week.

So I booked another night at the campsite and took a look the next day (14th):

Lee Miller and Roland Penrose lived here, she was a photographer and cook, and he a sculptor. They entertained many famous people including Picasso, Ernst and Miro. The house interior was gorgeous, take a look at the link, as no photos were allowed.

What a find! And a lovely last visit of the trip, as I feel the weariness in my bones that says it is time to go home.

15th Sept, Cambridgeshire, Hill Farm

I decided not to go to Lewes or Charleston, and instead spend 2 nights at the stop-off, rather than thrash it back up to Harrogate.

The route took me through Royal Tunbridge Wells which did look lovely, but I was back in to congested roads now, all through the Dartford tunnel and on the M11.

I was very glad to get to the site. Bizarrely, I had booked a pitch right under Duxford Air Show! The heat continued, so I had a full day mucking about with the van and peering at the Red Arrows and all sorts of planes just overhead - the photos don't do it justice, I was too busy watching. Plane-spotter neighbours on site told me about the nearest shop, as they come every year, so I was able to get some treats for my last few nights.

Festivals - Underneath the Stars and Magpies

Another stewarding shift, this time at Underneath the Stars, near Barnsley. Campsite gates in the rain and mud! But it was good fun, lots of interesting bands and this time I went up to Cawthorne to Hilary's tea shop and had a luxury breakfast in the sun.

Four nights later I was at The Magpie's festival near York, this time as a punter. I met up with Sue and Paul (and Ellie), and lazed around when not dodging the showers.

GTSF stewarding

Great experience at Gate to Southwell Festival, stewarding with several lovely people and good bands.

I took some time to investigate the van further and found:

• the fridge worked off leisure battery/solar panel fine for the whole weekend (turned it off at night as it was quite cool)
• using the round table is much more comfy at meal time - leave it up 
• there's a 12v socket I can charge the phone on just by the sink - this will use the van battery though I presume

• finally put the double bed up, it still leaves plenty of room so may consider doing that if I am static for a few days
• need to swap to summer duvet
• I took photos of the blobs of rust around the van, to get quotes
• I used the grey water drain but at the end of the stay, nothing came out so it is probably blocked again

SMF meet at Beadnell Bay

 Jayjay (Jackie) had organised a Northern mini-meet - we'd all booked absolutely ages ago, and were all hoping for good weather so we could enjoy lazing beside the sea. Beadnell CCC site is about 50 yards from the dunes, in a beautiful part of the country.

I arrived on Sunday and the full group was: Pamsicle, Jayjay, Marymary, Ann, Gregor.

It was sunny but COLD, so not much sitting out in the end.

The next day I went to Amble with Pam in her van. She knows the area really well so it was a proper guided tour. We went for a cuppa after a visit to the lobster hatchery.

On Tuesday I walked down to Beadnell harbour, and visited the small church. I waited for the Seahouses bus in the Courtyard coffee shop. Seahouses is a small seaside town, where all the boat trips set off to Farne etc. I had a pint in the famously decorated Olde Ship Inn, yea verily an olde pub, and then walked back along the coast to Beadnell.

On Wednesday, I decided to head home a day early because it really was too chilly at night, and I had to be home by 11am on Thursday anyway. I drove over to visit Cragside. In what could have been a disaster, I missed the campervan car park, and ended up on the very narrow 6-mile carriage drive. I just scraped round, lots of rhododendrons and lakes, very picturesque. 

Then I whizzed around the house (slightly dull except for 1 fireplace) and walked down the valley to see the power houses.  

May Day celebrations in Sherwood Forest

A return visit to the Milestones site, so I can get to Sherwood Forest the next day for the May Day celebrations. Paul and Sue were there, and Paul was dancing with the troupe, introduced by Friar Tuck (!). 

I had a quick tramp over to the Mighty Oak - the forest was much nicer than I remembered, and it was quite busy on the main paths. 

That night we were all at Milestones and after a visit to the brewery bar next door, I hosted dinner in my van, including my disastrous pudding - it was supposed to be tiramisu but..... I'd picked up rice pudding instead of custard, whiskey instead of brandy, and had no grater for the chocolate. And I'd chucked in some raspberries for some reason. But it did have sponge fingers. 

In the morning we took a short stroll round the site, and then headed home.

Slingsby and Castle Howard

I headed for the CCC Slingsby site, not very far away. On the way I drove through the Castle Howard estate, and turned in to the Yorkshire Arboretum. It has a red squirrel enclosure, but sadly they were all tucked up in their dreys. 

I went on the organised tour which added some history about the project, and pointed out some of the trees you would otherwise overlook. Then explored the rest of the site, which is very pretty.

Then it was back to the visitor centre for a lovely lunch with peacocks.

The weather turned the next day, and the PLAN was to take £2 busses around to Malton and Pickering, but the first bus didn't show up and so the whole plan fell through. THANK YOU Arriva. I had a quick look round the village, but didn't fancy one of the many walks because it was raining and cold. So I spend the whole day in the van :-(